Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1986 (14. évfolyam, 47-50. szám)

1986 / 47-48. szám

ARTICLES PAPERS (Continued)

boom caught up with the economically weaker peasants. At first, the northern peasants were impoverished, then the others, the small holders and the landless peasants of the Hungarian Plain joined in the agricultural proletariat, a new phenomenon in the Carpathian Basin. But the difficult life of the Hungarian peasantry in the following one hundred years and the political struggles of the nobility between 1849 and 1867 should not cloud our vision of a generally contended and prosperous peasantry during the Neo-Absolutist era. The author is on the faculty of the Dawson Coll. □

Kabdebo, Thomas, “Joseph Blackwell’s Last Hungarian Mission, 1849.” East European Quarterly, 20:1 (March 1986) 55-73.

This essay is aimed at analyzing the last diplomatic mission of Joseph Blackwell (1798-1886), an English diplomatic agent operating in Hungary between 1830 and 1850. His last mission during the summer of 1849 could have been potentially the most important one. The author examines it in the context of other earlier Hungarian missions. He presents an overview of Blackwell’s background and Hungarian activities with focus on the missions and then scrutinizes the last mission itself. Blackwell was known by his contemporaries as a friend of Hungary and a promoter of Hungarian commercial, later political interests. He left a legacy of manuscript to the HAS, and these, “collectively known as the Blackwell papers, became a quarry for Hungarian historians engaged on research preceding, leading up to, and analyzing the events and the consequences of the Hungarian war of independence.” The author is on the faculty of St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth. □

Lambert-Gócs, Miles. "On the Trail of the Zinfandel,” The Journal of Gastronomy (published by the American Institute of

Wine and Food, San Francisco, California) 2:1 (1986) 5-15.

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Count Ágoston Haraszty made history when he brought some 200,000 grape cuttings to California in the middle of the 19th century. It has been commonly believed that Zinfandel cuttings were among them, thus, they must have come from Hungary. Researchers into the Zinfandel puzzle remained dubious as to the veracity of the “Hungarian explanation.” Since there is no variety in Hungary that matches the characteristics of California’s Zinfandel, it was relatively easy to disprove any connection between the Zinfandel and Hungary. When plant pathologist A. C. Goheen discovered a similarity between Primitivo di Gioia and the California Zinfandel, the issue was brought into focus again. The author engaged in thorough research and summarized his findings as follows: (1) “Although the Zinfandel is identical to the Primitivo di Gioia, a wine now found in Apulia, we have evidence on which to suppose its arrival in California via Apulia: (2) the Zinfandel/Primitivo is most likely a variety native to an area of the Mediterranean east of Italy; (3) the “Zinfandel" name derives from one of the blue/black Sylvaner’s synonyms that was known along the northwestern side of the kingdom of Hungary as late as the mid-nineteenth century, when Haraszty was doing his work in California; (4) a vine mistakenly bearing the “Zinfandel’’ name arrived in California from Hungary, the only place where such a name would have been affixed to a vine; and (5) that vine could have arrived in Hungary from the Balkan Peninsula, an area with a long history of active contact with the eastern Mediterranean. □

Strem, George G.’The Influence of Goethe’s ‘Faust’ on the Hungarian Classic The Tragedy of Man’ by Imre Madách." East

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European Quarterly 19:1 (March 1985) 81-93.

The author argues that “we cannot question the originality of Madách’s play, although it does lean heavily upon the ‘FAUST’ drama.” When reading The Tragedy one is struck by its similarity to Goethe’s Faust. This similarity between the two dramas begins with a similarity between the preludes of the two plays, and continues to the conclusion. When searching for the differences one finds that Goethe depicts the gradual moral and spiritual ascent of an exceptional individual, whereas in Madách’s play each scene opens a new vista of human history and illustrates the fact that all social ideals are doomed to fail when man attempts to translate them into reality. Mada'ch developed a rather gloomy world view, which originated in his life experience. Thus, the philosophical perspective of his play reflects his role in the abortive revolution of 1848-9, his imprisonment for several years, and the fact that his wife was unfaithful to him while in prison. But it is this philosophy that made the play a success. Since its first performance on the 21 st of September 1883, The Tragedy has never been absent from the repertoir of Hungary’s National Theater. It has been translated into many languages; even now newtranslations are being published in various European countries as well as in the Americas. This success is due also to its dramatic effectiveness as much as to its philosophical content. The author is prof, emeritus at the California State U. d

Szendrey, Thomas, “The Catholic Intellectual Revival in Hungary in the 1930s: The Journal VIGILIA,” in Miscellanea Históriáé Ecclesiasticae No. 7, published by the Bibliotheque

de La Revue D’Histoire Ecclesiastique (Louvain-La-Neuve et Louvain), 1985, pages 334-45.

This study was orginally presented at an international congress of ecclesiastic history held at Bucharest, Romania, in August of 1980. VIGILIA was first published in 1935 asageneral cultural/literary journal with emphasis on spiritual and moral revival within the Roman Catholic Church. The stated purpose of the journal was the development of a clear and progressive view of history “and life”. It gathered many of the leading Hungarian intellectuals, writers, and poets in its ranks and tried to deepen and expand “spiritual and literary consciousness.” It reinforced the popular demand for the development of a world view, which would reflect the concerns of the new generations. For about ten years, VIGILIA remained true to its commitments and provided a forum for debate of “individual and collective destiny.” Ideological orientations and personalities left their imprint on the journal’s changing editorial policies. After 1946 such influence came from without the church. VIGILIA continues to exist though “it has undergone many changes and vicissitudes; however, its basic commitment remains unchanged if sometimes unfulfilled.” The author is prof, of history at Gannon U. (Erie, Pa.) □

Szendrey, Thomas, “St. Thomas More and East Europe: The Impact of his Christian Humanism.” Transcript of a lecture presented at the Gannon University (Erie, Pa.) Thomas More Festival, 8 February 1979, and published as no. 9 of the Duquesne University Studies in History, 1985.

More’s impact on the development of Christian humanism was a far-reaching achievement, the reception of his Utopia , and subsequent interpretations of that work was and has remained the most evident aspect of his influence upon the peoples of East Central Europe. An examination of his development, tracing the evidence of it from the 16th century to our own times (provides) visible evidence of More’s impact on this part of Europe.” Although the Utopia is certainly significant, “the

NO. 47-48, SPRING-SUMMER 1986 HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER